[PATCH] adduser: remove preconfigured GECOS full name field

Xabier Oneca -- xOneca xoneca at gmail.com
Mon Nov 18 21:05:28 UTC 2024


Hi 'fossd',

> Pre-configuring "Linux User" as Full Name is confusing a lot of users
> downstream.[1] For example, in geary e-mails were sent out as "Linux
> User"[2] and I also saw a couple of git commits with this name. This name
> does not bring any more improvements than just leaving this field
> empty, and let applications most likely fallback to the username.
>
> Alternative would be to set the field to `&` (Capitalized username,
> according to passwd(5)) or that we just set the GECOS field downstream.
>
> [1] https://gitlab.postmarketos.org/postmarketOS/pmbootstrap/-/issues/2214
> [2] https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/geary/-/issues/1486
>
> Signed-off-by: fossdd <fossdd at pwned.life>
> ---
>  loginutils/adduser.c | 2 +-
>  1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-)
>
> diff --git a/loginutils/adduser.c b/loginutils/adduser.c
> index d3c795afa..c0dc845a2 100644
> --- a/loginutils/adduser.c
> +++ b/loginutils/adduser.c
> @@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ int adduser_main(int argc UNUSED_PARAM, char **argv)
>                 bb_simple_error_msg_and_die(bb_msg_perm_denied_are_you_root);
>         }
>
> -       pw.pw_gecos = (char *)"Linux User,,,";
> +       pw.pw_gecos = (char *)",,,";

I would just, as well, leave the GECOS field entirely empty for that
effect. The commas do not contribute anything useful.

Cheers,

Xabier Oneca_,,_


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